Good design is everywhere these days. Great designthe objects, places and ideas that fuse functionality and aesthetics and then push the boundaries a step further to capture the imaginationis more elusive. Take a look at the standouts.

Esque Studio

By Deirdre Van DykFriday, Apr. 13, 2007

Courtesy Esque Studio

Honey-bear vases inspired by childhood memories, are $250 each.

There aren't many eco-minded designers sharing studio space with Formula One race-car drivers, but that's just one of the things that set glassmakers Andi Kovel and Justin Parker's company, Esque Studio, apart. The two designers blow and hand-finish every vase, candlestick and terrarium to order (they also make glass for Ralph Lauren Home and Anthropologie). When the pair, who started by doing glass renderings for artists like Kiki Smith, moved from Brooklyn, N.Y., to Portland, Ore., they began to use wind-powered energy and remelting their glass remnants into a line for select shops. "Eco-conscious companies are going to become the norm," says Kovel, "and good design will be part of it."